Tom Cat

This article is about the Tom and Jerry cartoon character. For other uses, see Tomcat.
Tom Cat
Tom and Jerry (WB/Turner Entertainment) character

Tom's design in the Hanna-Barbera shorts.
First appearance Puss Gets the Boot (as Jasper)
February 10, 1940
The Midnight Snack (as Tom)
July 19, 1941
Created by William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Voiced by Clarence Nash (1940–1942)
William Hanna (1942–1958)
Billy Bletcher (1944)
Stepin Fetchit (1948)
Daws Butler (1956)
Allen Swift (1961–1962)
Mel Blanc (1963–1967)
Information
Species Cat
Gender Male
Relatives George (identical musophobic cousin)
Butch ("buddy" or rival)
Meathead ("buddy" or rival)
Topsy ("buddy" or rival)
Lightning ("buddy" or rival)
Fluff, Muff and Puff (enemy)
Quacker ("buddy" or mostly rival)

Thomas "Tom" Cat is a fictional character and one of the title characters (the other being Jerry Mouse) in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's series of Tom and Jerry theatrical cartoon short films. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Tom is a blue/grey anthropomorphic domestic short-haired cat who first appeared in the 1940 MGM animated short Puss Gets the Boot.[1] Tom was originally known as "Jasper" during his debut in that short;[2] however, beginning with his next appearance in The Midnight Snack he is known as "Tom" or "Thomas".[3]

History

Tom and Jerry cartoons

His full name, "Tom Cat", is based on "tomcat", a phrase which refers to male cats. He is very rarely heard speaking with the exception of a few cartoons (such as 1943's "The Lonesome Mouse" and Tom & Jerry Tales' League of Cats) and "Tom and Jerry: The Movie". His only notable vocal sounds outside of this are his various screams whenever he is subject to pain or panic. He is continuously after Jerry Mouse, for whom he sets traps, many of which backfire and cause damage to him rather than Jerry. His trademark scream was provided by creator William Hanna.

Tom has changed remarkably over the years upon his evolution, especially after the first episodes. For example, in his debut, he was quadrupedal and had normal cat intelligence. However, over the years (since the episode Dog Trouble), he has become almost completely bipedal and has human intelligence and he is similar to his previous appearance, in 1945 shorts he had twisted whiskers and his appearance kept changing. In the 1940s and early 1950s, he had white fur between his eyes. In newer cartoons, the white fur is gone. As a slapstick cartoon character, Tom has a superhuman level of elasticity. Tom is usually defeated (or very rarely, killed, like in Mouse Trouble, where he explodes) in the end, although there are some stories where he outwits and defeats Jerry.

Anchors Aweigh & Dangerous When Wet

Tom and Jerry appeared together in the 1945 Technicolor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical Anchors Aweigh where Tom briefly appears as a butler for King Jerry, the latter who has a dance sequence with Gene Kelly, and also in another musical with the same studio Dangerous When Wet (1953), where, in a dream sequence, main character Katie Higgins (Esther Williams) does an underwater ballet with Tom and Jerry, as well as animated depictions of the different people in her life.[4]

Voice actors

Love interests

Apart from chasing Jerry, Tom has multiple love interests with female cats. Their names all begin with "T", except in Tom and Jerry Kids. They are:

Owners

Over his years as a housecat, Tom has multiple owners, varying in different cartoons.

See also

References

  1. ↑ IMDb. "Puss Gets the Boot". Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  2. ↑ Mark Christopher Carnes, American national biography (2)
  3. ↑ IMDb. "The Midnight Snack (1941)". Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  4. ↑ IMDb. "Dangerous When Wet (1953)". Retrieved 16 May 2010.
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